PRELIMINARY-RESULTS OF PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR RECURRENT NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising new modality in the treatmen t of cancer. In Hong Kong where nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is ende mic, radiotherapy has been the primary treatment of choice. For recurr ent disease after radiotherapy, there is no effective treatment, This latter report summarizes our initial experience in using PDT for these patients. Twelve patients (three females and nine males) with ages ra nging from 33 to 65 years were treated with an infusion of hematoporph yrin derivative (5 mg/kg) 48-72 h before exposure to 200 J/cm(2) light (wavelength, 630 nm) delivered from a gold vapor laser. All 12 patien ts showed a dramatic response as judged by computed tomography or magn etic resonance imaging at 6 months post-PDT. Of the eight patients in whom cure was aimed for, three remained disease-free at 9-12 months af ter a single treatment. Three of the remaining four patients achieved useful palliation. Skin hypersensitivity occurred in two patients and was the only significant complication encountered. This experience ind icates that PDT can be an encouraging palliative or definitive managem ent for recurrent superficial NPC.